


Bengay

by yookihyunnieX



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: M/M, Running AU, Slice of Life, changki rise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 03:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13966788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yookihyunnieX/pseuds/yookihyunnieX
Summary: I went for a jog and 3.235 minutes into it my brain went CHANGKI FIC, so here's this~Thanks for reading <3





	Bengay

**Author's Note:**

> I went for a jog and 3.235 minutes into it my brain went CHANGKI FIC, so here's this~
> 
> Thanks for reading <3

He panted as he moved, sweat dripping down his forehead, heart racing. Adrenaline coursed through him and he felt amazing, his body felt amazing. He tore off his shirt and licked his lips, then picked up his pace until he came to his finish. Satisfied, he stopped to stretch, then jogged another block to cool down a bit more. That was one of the best runs he had gone on in a long time.

As his heartbeat slowed to an acceptable post-workout pace, he entered his apartment building and began his trek upstairs. The elevator worked fine and he knew he could justify “deserving to use it,” but he felt energized after an invigorating run. He hoped Hyungwon was awake by now and would be down to join him for breakfast after a shower.

Changkyun was proud of himself for sticking with his decision to make a lifestyle change and work out more regularly. Sure, he had a few lazy days, but that was expected to happen. Still, he continued to run every Saturday morning. He always took off from his apartment and made his way through the streets to the edge of town to run along the riverside, then he’d go as far as he felt comfortable going that day. The end of his route always varied. He needed different scenery and distances, and he liked changing between flatter and hillier paths, depending on how he felt. However, he always started his runs the same way, heading down to the river. The scenery was too beautiful to pass up on.

“Back from your run?” Hyungwon greeted him with a yawn as he entered their apartment. 

“No, man. I’m this sweaty after going down to check the mail.”

“Oh, did we have anything? Maybe the package of respect I ordered? Because I get none from you.”

Hyungwon quirked his eyebrow like he had just shared a revolutionary concept, but the sideways smirk that played on his face told Changkyun that his roommate was just playing along like always. 

“You know, I think I saw that package. I figured it was a mis-order, so I sent it back.” Changkyun laughed and wiped the sweat from his face with his shirt. “But yeah, that was my longest run so far. Feels good to get back at it.” 

He’d been a runner in school, but got a little too consumed with the idea of relaxing after graduation to keep up with it. He and Hyungwon were both trying to get their lives back together, featuring his sweat drenched body and the grapefruit that Hyungwon was holding, struggling to pick at the peel. Changkyun realized that his hopes of a big, shared breakfast might not happen.

“Did you see the boy with the Nikes?”

Okay, so maybe there was a reason Changkyun's running path began the same each week that wasn't scenery related. Well, not scenery in the typical meaning of the word. There was definitely something (someone) he enjoyed seeing each time.

“Yep, every Saturday. I tried to say hi, but I don't think he heard me. He had headphones in today.”

“Bummer. Saying hi would've been a huge development,” he murmured, finally freeing his grapefruit from the damn peel.

“Hey, I've said hi before. Well. I've waved.” Changkyun really wished it was easier for him to just say hi. Christ, everyone greets each other when they run or bike on the same trails. It's just part of the Fit Fam Way. You're going one way working out, doing your thing. You say hi to people working out doing theirs. And he'd seen the same guy every single Saturday for the past six weeks without saying a word. He was going to today, but he seemed so focused and Changkyun didn't want to throw off his focus.

“I wonder what kind of music he listens to,” Changkyun wondered aloud.

“From what you've described, I can see him being the type that runs to Bastille.”

“Yeah and then there's me going hard to Nicki Minaj when I run with music.”

Hyungwon smiled and shook his head, popping a bit of the fruit into his mouth.

“I think it fits him though, based on what you've said about him and his form. How do you describe it again?”

“His form is amazing, Hyungwon. It's beautiful.” _He's beautiful._ “He keeps his shoulders relaxed in a way I've always wanted to and he pushes off to have an amazing stride. Part of it is the fact that he uses his knees to drive himself forward. He brings them up to have more time to lengthen his stride, but not too much that he's using excess energy. He keeps his hands unclenched and relaxes his facial muscles,” _but not in a way that makes him look dumb like me. It's actually adorable the way his cheeks move._ “His arms are loose, but strong. I just wish he'd pick some decent shoes, damn.”

“And what's wrong with Nikes?”

Changkyun took a deep breath.

“I don't even know where to start. They're a big brand and they have great and popular ath gear, sure, whatever. But the support they have is nothing compared to Asics. It's a distance runner thing.”

Hyungwon finished chewing his most recently freed slice of grapefruit and rolled his eyes.

“Alright, so when are you going to talk to the guy with the Nikes who has perfect form and tell him he needs better arch supports?”

“Hyungwon. I can't even say hi to the guy.”

“It's not that hard. Just start a conversation with him. You literally run to the river each week just to see his face and form, both of which I know you think are beautiful, whether or not you say it aloud.”

He huffed. He knew he was obvious. He was never good at hiding that kind of thing and was sure he gushed about the perfect form of Nike guy more than just on the days he saw him. 

“We run different directions. What am I supposed to do, say three words each week in the few seconds we have in passing? Then after a month maybe he'll have the full message?”

“Yeah, maybe.” Hyungwon sauntered to the sink to wash the fruit's sticky juice off his hands. “Or maybe you could run with him and have an actual conversation like a normal person.”

“Honestly, Hyungwon, I have enough of a hard time keeping my breath steady when I run as it is. I don't need to struggle with my air intake because I'm trying to hold a conversation with a beautiful man. Thanks for the death tip, though.”

“Alright , Changkyun. I'm going to make you a very important deal. If you talk to Nike guy, and yes I'll be able to tell because you're a shit liar, then I will give you my secret stash of Kit-Kats.”

Changkyun narrowed his eyes playfully.

“I thought you said you didn't have a stash anymore.”

“I don't,” Hyungwon smirked. “Not until you talk to him anyway.”

“Deal.”

\--

He secured the double knot on his left shoe because he wasn’t a fool that let chance take the reigns on his life, deciding whether or not he’d faceplant into the concrete. 

“Prepare to sacrifice your stash, Hyungwon,” he called to his roommate as he stood to stretch. “After this run, it’s about to be mine.”

He was more motivated by the candy than by actually having a conversation with the guy. He supposed that was why Hyungwon had made the deal in the first place. It’s not that he didn’t want to talk to the other runner, because he totally did. But he wanted to skip the awkward phase of introductions and painful smalltalk and jump right to...well, he didn’t know exactly what. It was too soon to say, as he didn’t even know his name or what his voice sounded like or why he ran or any of that. But maybe that’s what he wanted to skip to: a place where he was able to make that call.

Still, he knew he couldn’t realistically get to that point without the awkward stage, and this secret chocolate collection gave him further incentive.

“Changkyun,” his roommate called back, voice rough and annoyed. “Just leave.”

Yeah, he deserved that. He had woken the sleeping beast. Not beauty. Beast.

He set off at his normal time, which was at the actual ass crack of dawn, and began his journey down to the river, allowing himself to warm up gradually. Seeing the water before him, he grinned. This would be a piece of cake. Er, chocolate. One simple word was all he needed. Hyungwon was right: he couldn’t lie for shit. But he could say a simple greeting and get the Kit-Kats he deserved. And then allow greetings between the two of them to slowly progress until the boy with the Nikes finally had waited long enough and just _had_ to know more about him. 

Changkyun wished.

The river was beautiful this morning, as always, when the sun made it sparkle as the water slightly rippled. He sometimes saw the boy with the Nikes glance over the fence to the view, stride briefly stalling as he took in the image, focus lost for a brief moment until he pulled his attention back forwards. Changkyun hoped he’d be able to pull his attention to himself for a moment today, making him chop his step for even a fraction of a second as he said hello back.

He made it to the connection where the street’s sidewalk met with the path around the river and settled into his pace, finding his form. Reminding himself to relax his shoulders, despite his nerves setting in, he pushed his feet off the concrete with every stride. It wasn’t long before Changkyun was approaching the area where he typically passed the runner with the Nikes, but he didn’t see him anywhere. 

Maybe he was just a little behind schedule? Changkyun continued forward down the path along the river, but he reached a point where the path split and it was much further than he had ever seen the other runner. If he hadn’t seen him by now, he wasn’t going to. But where was he? He had seen him in the same stretch every Saturday for the past six weeks.

And, maybe more importantly: why did Changkyun feel like his world had shifted off its axis because of his absence? He literally hadn’t even said a single word to the guy at this point.

Yet here he was, chopping his step and tightening his shoulders as he grumpily turned to exit the path and take the street back to his apartment.

He took the elevator today.

“How’d it go?” Hyungwon drawled. “Are you two eternally in love and shit?”

Changkyun rolled his eyes and walked to grab his cooled water bottle from the fridge.

“He wasn’t even there. The one day I work myself up to say hello. And he wasn’t there.”

“Bummer.” There was a shuffling sound and Changkyun turned to see him peel open the orange packaging of a Kit-Kat and take a bite of the chocolate. Not one of the individual pieces. A big chunk out of the middle like a fucking savage.

“I was actually going to do it, too. Say hi and everything.”

“And everything?” Hyungwon widened his eyes, mocking him. 

“Shut up, it’s progress.”

“Yeah, I know. You’ll have to go a step further when you see him now if you want my stash.”

Changkyun opened his mouth to protest. That wasn’t part of the deal! They had agreed that a vocal greeting equaled the Kit-Kat collection. And the absence of the boy with the Nike’s was obviously beyond Changkyun’s control. But Hyungwon raised his hand to silence him as he took another bite. From the middle. How disturbing.

“Look,” he said between bites. “I know this guy was randomly gone, but I’ve realized my sacrifice is a bit steep. You don’t understand how big my stash is. I need you to have an actual conversation with Mr. Nikes. I’ll throw in one Snickers, just so you don’t whine too much about the new deal. Sound good?”

Changkyun weighed his options. Carry on as is, chocolate-less, without having spoken with the Nikes guy? Or push past his nerves to have a conversation and get a reward of chocolate galore? The decision seemed obvious.

“Sounds good. Deal.”

This would be easy.

\--

This was not easy.

Changkyun had made it down to the path by the river and was practicing a few hundred possible things to say and his form was probably absolute shit. He came around the corner, and saw the bright blue laces on the boy’s black Nikes coming around the curve the opposite direction.

Changkyun’s breath hitched. He was right there. And Changkyun was going to talk to him. He needed to do it now or his excuses would spiral and he never would. He was right there. Getting closer. His stride was beautiful, but there was something different about it. And he was getting closer still. 

_Of course he is, dumbass. You’re running towards each other._

And he passed him.

_Shit. That was your chance!_

Changkyun shook his head at his pitiful self and took a deep breath, then turned on his heel, running after the boy with the Nikes like some kind of suddenly man-turned-zombie creep.

“Hey!”

Nothing.

He sped up to catch him and match his pace, then cleared his throat to try again.

“Hey.”

The other runner turned his head to the side and raised his eyebrow, but he was smiling. That was a good sign right?

He pulled his headphone out of his ear.

“Hey.” His voice was surprisingly smooth, considering they were running.

“You were gone last week.” Nice.

He laughed, though, and it was light and sweet and beautiful.

“Yeah, I was. Had an injury.”

That explained the difference in his stride. It was probably his damn Nikes.

“It’s your damn Nikes.”

“Pardon?”

Well heck. That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to say. But, well, it kind of was? He wasn’t wrong.

“Your shoes. Awful support.”

Despite the lack of breath as they ran, Changkyun felt pretty proud that their conversation had lasted more than just a few sentences. Even if he had chosen to insult the guy’s footwear.

“So Asics have better support I take it?”

Changkyun made an affirmative grunt, nodding.

“What’s your name?”

Oh. That would have maybe been a better start in conversation. Good call.

“Changkyun. You?”

“Kihyun,” he smiled. It was dazzling like the sun rays on the water. The view was stunning. “I take it you’re a big runner, Changkyun?”

He ignored the way his heart stopped when Kihyun said his name and cleared his throat.

“You could say that, yeah.”

“My calves kill. How should I stretch them?”

“You could do the downward dog yoga pose,” he started, “or press your foot against the wall with your toes up.”

He saw Kihyun nod from the corner of his eye. “What else should I do?”

Changkyun’s mouth worked faster than his brain did.

“I have a muscle roller. You could run with me to my place and I could roll you out.”

He could see pink come over Kihyun’s ears and it wasn’t from the exercise. And now it was happening to him, too, he was sure of it.

“I just..uh...it’s a running thing.”

“Oh ok,” he chuckled nervously “I’m not really a runner. Well. I’m running now obviously. But...yeah. I just try to look like I know what I’m doing when I pass people.”

He wasn’t a runner? No way.

“But your form is beautiful.”

The pink on his cheeks deepened. It was incredibly endearing.

“Oh, um..thank you.”

There was a pause and Changkyun considered bailing out now. He wasn’t a sprinter, but since Kihyun was still somewhat injured, he could probably make a mad dash and just, ya know, never come back to run at the river. Or maybe generally never run again. That would work too.

“Could I?”

Changkyun blinked. Could ya what now?

“Come over, I mean. My calves are still pretty tight and I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

“Oh, sure. We could head up now?”

“Okay,” Kihyun agreed, and Changkyun lead the way to his apartment building. They slowed down a few blocks away and walked in a comfortable silence that he was glad they’d developed. Running with someone brought a mutual understanding that you could be with someone without constantly talking.

Once inside his apartment, Kihyun looked around the main area and Changkyun internally crossed his fingers that the living room was tidy enough to not scare him away. He didn't realize that he was just standing there, watching him like a fucking weirdo until Kihyun turned to him and had to clear his throat to catch his attention.

“Could I maybe have some water?”

Changkyun blinked, taking a beat longer than he should have to process his request.

“Water! Yeah, I'll get you some water.”

Nice.

He moved (scrambled, really) past Kihyun and into the kitchen to grab and fill a glass to give him.

Despite the awkwardness of who Changkyun generally was as a person... Kihyun smiled. And Changkyun felt that it was genuine.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” he nodded. “I’m gonna just…” 

He did that thing where he awkwardly points and just kinda stutters and tries to let his mouth catch up to his brain (contrary to his outburst inviting Kihyun over earlier) and did a sideways shuffle towards his room.

“I’m gonna get my muscle roller, yeah?”

And there was that blinding smile again.

“Yeah.”

Changkyun moved maybe a little too quickly to his room and tried to collect any morsels of sanity and chill that he could find while he grabbed his muscle roller from his closet, reminding himself to fucking _breathe_ because he should _not_ be like this, he had cooled down ample, okay? Ample.

For a fraction of a second he considered waking Hyungwon again to have him smack some sense into him, but then he decided he’d rather not summon the demon within his roommate and take his chances with Kihyun as he was. He was just so? Beautiful? Endearing? Charming? Adorable? All of the above, really. Definitely breathtaking. Obviously.

He made his way back to the living room to see where Kihyun was tentatively leaning against the counter, finishing his glass of water. Any “chill” he collected was suddenly lost again. It vanished into the air that was, again, stolen from Changkyun’s chest. Poof.

“Go ahead and lie down on the ground,” he said, pointing to the carpet in the living room with his muscle roller. It was a thin bar with white plastic beads like marshmallows that he only wished were that soft, but the roller made him feel like a baton twirler mixed with an air traffic controller. 

Kihyun’s eyes widened and Changkyun realized how fucking odd that sounded, especially to someone who was a new runner and had probably never been rolled out before.

“Oh, um. It was your calves that hurt, right? You’ll probably get more out of it if I roll out your muscles for you. If you do it yourself, you kind of resist it and don’t press as hard as you need to. If you lie on your stomach, I can get your whole lower leg.”

Kihyun nodded and began moving into the living room area. He was possibly more graceful walking than he was running and Changkyun reminded himself to simmer the fuck down, because he’s _walking_ for Christ’s sake. He followed Kihyun into the living room and began explaining what to expect.

“Alright, so this will help loosen up your muscles. It might hurt if I press too hard, so let me know. It’s kind of supposed to hurt though? Like the good kind of hurt. But I use this stick with the plastic bead things to roll over your calves. And you should have more water afterwards because of the toxins that are released and all that.”

“I can’t believe I agreed to lie down on the floor of a stranger’s apartment while he inflicts pain on my legs. Not the best life choice, Kihyun.” He was teasing, snickering as he laid down. 

“Yeah, but the real life choice you should be questioning is those damn Nikes,” he poked back.

Kihyun let out a muffled laugh as he settled his face into his folded arms, shaking his head at the comment, and his laugh remained one of the most beautiful things Changkyun had heard in his entire lifetime.

Changkyun began rolling the stick on Kihyun’s left calf, pressing firmly and going back over tense areas starting softly, then steadily adding more pressure.

It was partially because Changkyun was focused on his task, and partly because Kihyun’s face was tucked into his arms, but when Kihyun spoke, he couldn’t quite make out what he had said. But what it sounded like was, “How long have you been gay?”

Changkyun paused where he was working on Kihyun’s lower calf and tilted his head, wondering how obvious he had been about his crush. But if Kihyun was going to ask so casually, then he was going to answer casually in return.

He switched over to Kihyun’s right calf and cleared his throat.

“I think I came out about eight years ago now.”

Kihyun suddenly shifted under him, as he turned to prop himself on his elbow and look at Changkyun, wearing a confused face.

“What did you say?”

Changkyun blinked back at him, just as confused.

“Uh. I said that I came out like eight years ago.”

A look of understanding came over Kihyun’s face, as well as a grin he seemed to be fighting back.

“Changkyun. I asked if you had any Bengay. For my legs.”

He felt his grip on his life get completely stripped away as he froze like a statue blinking back at him. A small voice within his being told him that, to get out of this situation he’d have to fucking do something so, like the zombie he became, he walked towards his bathroom to produce his tube of IcyHot.

Kihyun’s gaze probably followed him there. Why wouldn’t it? He was being a complete dumbass.

_Breathe, Changkyun. You can always move to a new apartment and never go to the river for the rest of your lifetime. Like a ghost. A figment of Kihyun’s past. Problem solved._

“Here, you can use my IcyHot.”

Thank the lord almighty above, Kihyun didn’t say anything about Changkyun’s slip up.

“Thanks!” he smiled, taking the tube.

Bless him.

Kihyun rubbed the white cream thoroughly into his calves and Changkyun refilled his glass of water because he’d need to handle this interaction until it ended. Then he could completely relocate with Hyungwon. Change his name if he had to.

Kihyun took the glass of water and, after a sip, pulled his phone out of the band he’d left around his arm. 

“Since you’re all anti-Nike, would you be okay with helping me find another pair of shoes? I’m guessing it’ll be Asics,” he chuckled.

Changkyun’s eyes flickered between the phone being held out to him and the smile on the boy’s face before him.

_He’s asking_ what _from me??_

Changkyun gulped and took his phone, tapping in his phone number.

“Yeah, I can help you find some.”

“Great, because I don’t really know what I’m doing. As you’ve gathered.”

He smiled again and _were those dimples?_ Christ, they _were._

Changkyun somehow laughed, and prayed it didn’t sound too forced. Honestly, he was just at a loss for air. Words. Rationality. All things.

He blamed the dimples.

Kihyun began moving to the door, saying goodbye and thank you and letting Changkyun know he’d text him. All the while, Changkyun nodded back at him with a smile like he was a robot and it was the only thing he was programmed to do.

Then something happened. And if Hyungwon hadn’t recalled it to him later as he turned over his chocolate stash, having watched from his bedroom doorway, Changkyun would have thought he imagined it.

As Kihyun left their apartment, he turned back to Changkyun before he shut the door.

“I’ve been gay for ten.”

And he _winked._


End file.
